


Boozy Hot Chocolate

by KatyaMorrigan



Category: Loveless - Alice Oseman
Genre: Christmas market, Christmassy fun, College, F/F, Gen, Ice Skating, Multi, Other, Platonic Relationships, Platonic Soulmates, just enjoying each other's company
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:03:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27655208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatyaMorrigan/pseuds/KatyaMorrigan
Summary: Tis the season of too many essay deadlines, and Georgia and the Loveless gang are feeling the pressure. Sunil suggests they take advantage of the festive offers Durham has - a Christmas Market and temporary ice-skating rink. Of course they have to go.
Relationships: Pip Quintana/Rooney Bach
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Boozy Hot Chocolate

**Author's Note:**

> Day 18 of my NaNoWriMo writing challenge this year - one oneshot a day, every day for the whole of November. I'm following the SOFTober 2020 prompts by @wafflesandkruge on Instagram to give me some fluffy starting points for the coming month of fics.  
> The prompt for today was "ice".  
> I hope you enjoy!

“I am so sick of writing essays,” Georgia groaned. She was sat at the kitchen table in her student house with Jason opposite her. Both of them had laptops in front of them, and both were making similar complaints at frequent intervals.

“Me too,” he sighed, stretching back against his chair. “When do you think our professors will decide it’s the season of good will and take a break?”

“Well, there’s only a week of actual term left. Let’s hope we get some days off before we head back to Kent.”

“Don’t count on it,” Sunil chimed in as they came into the kitchen with a handful of used tea mugs.

“That’s where my Harry Potter mug went!” Georgia exclaimed. Sunil gave her a sheepish grin.

“Yeah, I’ve been slowly using them all up, sorry. There’s going to be a better selection after I wash these.”

They filled the sink and began doing the dishes.

“Is second year the worst for essays?” Jason asked Sunil. They laughed in response.

“Every single year feels like the worst one, but honestly, I think first year is the worst.”

Georgia and Jason both groaned.

“Not in the way you think, though,” Sunil said, pointing a sudsy finger at them. “First year is when everything kicks off: you move out of your family home to a new city, you have to start at least trying to be an adult, _and_ you have school work to be doing. Writing uni-style essays is way more difficult when you’re also learning new life skills and social skills at the same time.”

“That’s a fair point,” Jason said, “but I still swear the questions weren’t as evil this time last year.”

“Yeah, and as much as you get used to living here, the work does get harder ever year,” Sunil admitted.

“Looking forward to third year then,” Georgia grimaced. She closed her laptop and inhaled deeply with her head in her hands. “What can we do that’ll make this last week more fun? I don’t want to end up shut in here for the last week in Durham writing essays and losing my mind.”

“Haven’t you already lost it?” Jason replied. Georgia flipped him the bird with a grin.

“Well, there is the Christmas Market,” Sunil said. “You didn’t go last year, did you?”

“No,” they both replied.

“Where is it?”

“In the square by the cathedral. There’s market stalls, and you can buy some good gifts, as well as mulled wine and food. Sometimes they set up a fake ice rink too and you can go skating.”

“Okay that sounds like the best idea,” Georgia said excitedly. “When does it open?”

“This weekend, I think. I take that this is a massive yes?”

“Yes!” they exclaimed.

“Get your essays done by the weekend then,” Sunil grinned, “you don’t want to have to do them after a hangover.”

“Jokes on you,” Jason replied, “mine’s due tomorrow.”

***

When they returned from a study date (or just regular date, in all likelihood), Pip and Rooney were equally enthused by the prospect of the Christmas Market. They immediately dived into research about the different stalls and entertainment offered, cuing remarks from Sunil about their academic achievement if they applied the same enthusiasm to their essay research.

The rest of the week passed in the usual routine of rushed breakfasts, early morning lectures, cold-fingered library visits and drinks in the student bars. Georgia found herself pinning all thoughts of relaxation onto the weekend Market visit. There were several big deadlines coming up, and she had to get the work in on time, even if it wasn’t her best. She spent more time in her room than usual, occasionally accompanied by Sunil as he worked through his own studies, and just knuckled down.

By Saturday, she was very grateful to have worked so hard. Rooney was still sweating over a final essay that morning, nervously watching the clock as she wrote and cursing under her breath at every typo. There was still plenty of time until the Market opened for the evening – and by evening, that meant sundown at 4pm – so Georgia settled down in the living room with Pip and played Mario Kart on the old Wii Jason had donated to the house. They were sharing a huge purple blanket, squished up against each other so close that whenever Pip was just behind, she could wedge her elbow under Georgia’s and force her to steer in the wrong direction. This prompted much swearing and laughter, and Jason joined them on the sofa just to make fun of their chaotic playing.

Sunil made lunch for everyone at midday, and even Rooney stopped her frustrated efforts to sit down and eat soup with everyone. Georgia once again found herself incredibly grateful that Sunil had decided to live with them – they were an excellent cook, and had a much better internal clock than anyone else in the house. Everyone else except Jason kept erratic hours, and it was so easy to let meals slip by accidentally. Sunil kept them all well-fed, and even managed to get them to eat vegetables at most meals too.

“I knew a guy who actually got scurvy in his first year because he lived off pot noodle and takeout,” they would frequently say, “and I’m not letting my college kids go through that.”

Georgia went up to her room to watch the sun go down, admiring the beautiful purple and orange light as it faded over the River Wear, and then prepared to go out for the Market. The weather was absolutely freezing, far more so up north than it ever got in Kent, and she wasn’t willing to catch frostbite just to look good. She put on as many thin jumpers as she could, layering them under one of Jason’s teddy bear jackets, then grabbed a scarf and some fingerless gloves, and an ugly woollen hat that Pip had made as a Christmas present some five years previously. Knitting had been one of Pip’s shortest-lived hobbies, but not short enough for Georgia and Jason to have escaped a ridiculous amount of lumpy knitwear that now lived at the back of cupboards and under beds.

She went downstairs and found Rooney on the stairs, adjusting her crop top under a large parka.

“You’re not actually going to wear a crop top in December, are you?” she asked incredulously.

“It looks good,” Rooney replied, “and I have a coat.”

“You aren’t going to zip up the coat though, so you’ll still freeze.”

“Pip will lend me her warmth.”

“Not if you insist on freezing your kidneys,” Pip replied as she emerged from the kitchen. She was sensibly dressed in the same bulky layers that Georgia was. On her petite frame, though, it did make her look almost spherical.

“My kidneys will be fine.”

“I don’t know, frostbite of the kidneys is a serious issue.”

“Why are we so concerned about Rooney’s kidneys?” Jason asked. “Oh, so that’s where my jacket went.”

“Sorry,” Georgia grinned. “You have two, though, right?”

“Two kidneys or two coats?” he laughed.

“You definitely have two kidneys,” Pip said.

“I knew there was a reason I didn’t study biology,” Jason replied.

Sunil joined them in his large corduroy overcoat and one of Georgia’s Pip-knitted hats, and they headed out.

It was a cold walk to the cathedral, and Georgia was very glad of her layers. She could feel the tip of her nose going pink as it was. Pip slipped a mittened hand into hers, and grinned as they walked.

“What are you most excited for?” she asked. “I want mince pies.”

“Ew, mince pies are gross,” Rooney said. “Mulled wine, I could use it.”

“You’re going to want to eat something warm by the time we get there for sure,” Georgia said. “I think I’ll see if they have something doughnut-like. I’m in the mood for grease.”

“That’s the worst sentence I’ve ever heard.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely not, but it’s the only one I can remember, and I wish I couldn’t.”

They all kept chatting on the way, reminiscing on the previous Christmas and considering what the new term would be like in January. Streetlamps created broad circles of yellowed light on the damp path, and Rooney hopped between them on her long legs, dancing about with her hands shoved deep in her coat pockets. The path diverged into narrower streets as they neared the old college buildings – Georgia sent a look towards St John’s – and Sunil led the way to the square.

“Here we are,” he said, with a broad gesture at the scenery. “Welcome to Durham Christmas Market!”

Pip and Georgia gave appreciated gasps. It was beautiful – a huge Christmas tree sat against the back of the cathedral, easily ten feet tall and lit up in bright shining colours. There were green-panelled stalls everywhere, selling knickknacks and handmade gifts as well as food and drink. All along the lips of the stall roofs were more fairy lights, and various sellers had added tinsel and baubles to add to the festive atmosphere. Some tall speakers had been positioned at the corners of the square, and Christmas music was being pumped out for the visitors to enjoy.

“This is going to be awesome,” Jason said with a broad grin.

The group set off together, following the natural path of the stalls and looking at what each one had to offer. Rooney stopped to admire some hand-carved wooden ornaments as Pip found a hot chocolate stand which would also put boozy shots into the drink for you. She and Georgia ordered one, grinning at each other over the rims of their little cups and taking deep sips.

“That’s so good,” Pip groaned. “Rooney, are you sure you want to wait for mulled wine?”

“Yeah, I’ll just take some of yours,” she said, leaning over and plucking the cup from Pip’s hands. She took a quick gulp before Pip snatched it back with a laugh, pressing a chocolatey kiss to Rooney’s cheek.

Georgia caught up with Jason, who had found a stall selling hats and scarves that were much nicer than the ones they were wearing.

“I don’t want to offend Pip,” he said, “but also I would much prefer to wear one of these right now.”

Georgia agreed to keep mum about it and bought a scarf as well. Hers was a mixture of purples and deep blues, and Jason’s was green with hints of brown. They slipped their current scarves into the rucksack Georgia had brought for their purchases and put on the new ones.

“Much better,” Georgia grinned.

Jason put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in for a quick hug. He was so broad that it was instantly warming, and Georgia squeezed him tightly with one arm as she took a sip of her hot chocolate.

As Jason went back to find Rooney and Pip, who seemed to be arguing passionately about whether tinsel was tacky in a good way or a bad way, Georgia reunited with Sunil. They had found what she was looking for: doughnuts.

“You’re the best!” she exclaimed, taking the box that they offered to her. Sunil had bought it before she had even walked over – a box of mini doughnuts tossed in cinnamon and brown sugar with a small pot of warm chocolate sauce to dip them in.

“I knew you’d like it,” Sunil grinned, taking one from their own box (tossed in a mixed spice blend with caramel dipping sauce). “How’s the market so far?”

“Well, I’ve had boozy hot chocolate, bought a new scarf, and my college parent has just bought me doughnuts, so I think I’m having a great time,” she replied, rubbing her cold nose with the palm of her glove.

“Glad to hear it,” Sunil smiled. “How do you feel about ice skating in a little bit?”

“I don’t know if I’ll be up for it after all these doughnuts,” she laughed. “Where’s the rink?”

“Other side of the cathedral on the green. I did check that they were running it this year, and they definitely are. It’s got an entry fee, but it’s only like £10 each for as long as you want on there.”

“Sounds great to me. I might get the others to help me eat the doughnuts though, so I can actually move on the rink.”

“You know what, I’m gonna do the same.” Sunil shoved another doughnut into their mouth and groaned. “These are too good.”

“Ooh, if the stall is still open after we’re done skating, we should buy another box to bring home.”

“You’re a genius,” Sunil declared.

The two of them wandered around the stalls some more, considering some cute baubles to put on their mini Christmas tree back at the house and a nice wreath that was just a little too expensive to be worth putting on a student accommodation door.

They ran into Pip, Jason and Rooney again, and agreed to go and find the ice rink. Rooney was only too happy to help with the doughnut eating, and Pip and Jason took plenty as well.

“Is this just to put is all at a disadvantage?” Jason asked. “If we’re too full of doughnuts then we won’t be able to beat you at a race.

Pip laughed. “I’m definitely not going to be able to race, I can’t skate well as it is, and I shared some mulled wine with Rooney just now.”

“This is going to go fantastically,” Georgia grinned.

Just outside the cathedral was a huge tent raised on a small platform. A volunteer was waiting at the entrance with a large assortment of ice skates and a sign declaring the health risks of skating that Durham City Council couldn’t be held responsible for.

“Is there anything on there about skating tipsy?” Rooney asked with a grin.

“Probably,” Sunil said. “Let’s not look.”

They all paid their entry fee and found a pair of skates in their size – Jason had to search for a good few minutes to find a large enough pair, and Pip had to take off her gloves and push them into the toes of her slightly oversized skates. Georgia, Sunil and Rooney were just fine though, and were able to make the slightly staggering walk onto the rink with relative ease.

“It’s been so long since I’ve skated!” Rooney exclaimed. “Think I last did this at someone’s birthday party when I was about thirteen.”

“Same,” Georgia said. “Let’s just go around the barrier for a bit.”

A few other people were already on the rink, but they were an older couple who were lazily making their way back and forth while holding hands, and a mother with her daughter who was mostly sitting on the ice and giggling about having a cold bottom.

“Someone should tell her it’s not real ice,” Rooney mused. Sunil shushed her.

“It’s about the magic of the holiday season,” they said. “Let her think she’s melting the ice with her butt.”

Rooney took Georgia and Sunil’s hands and led them to the side of the rink as Pip and Jason made their way in. Jason slipped almost immediately and just managed to keep himself upright with a lot of windmilling, prompting laughter from the others.

“This is going to go well,” he said with a grin, holding firmly onto the rail with both hands.

They all went around a few times, holding the barrier and chatting about how cold it was for a plastic rink. Sunil started to get confident and skated a little way away from the barrier, holding onto Jason’s arm for stability. Jason protested about not being stable enough to support himself, let alone Sunil too, prompting jokes from Pip about that metaphor going for both ice skating and real life.

It was so easy for Georgia to fall into a nice rhythm, walking in a gliding way around the rink and talking with her friends all the while. Rooney grabbed Pip’s hands and started to ease them away from the barrier and Georgia followed top, holding onto the Pip’s shoulders despite the latter’s complaints about being ticklish.

“We should try being a train!” Rooney suggested. “We can all skate in a line and keep supporting each other and try to go from one side to the other.”

“That’s a terrible idea,” Georgia laughed. “We’ll end up kicking each other in the shins.”

“Yeah, that’s why it’ll be fun!”

“I don’t want bloody legs by the end of this.”

“Okay, just race me instead then,” Rooney replied.

“You’re on.”

Jason, Sunil and Pip all waited at the barrier as Rooney and Georgia prepared to race. Pip yelled “GO!” and they both set off, Rooney making an impressive head start by pushing off hard. Georgia struggled to keep up, doing her best to move like she had seen people do on TV, but barely managing to catch up from the lead Rooney already had. Unsurprisingly, she lost.

“I guess I’m just the superior ice skater,” Rooney said with a grin, attempting a small twirl and having to grab the railings again.

“Lankiness does not make you superior!”

“Superior genetics do help, though!”

They all went around the rink a few more times before Pip complained she was getting sleepy from the earlier alcohol, and they decided to move on. They thanked the volunteer again and replaced their skates before heading back to the marketplace and having a final look around the stalls.

Sunil went back to the excellent doughnut place and bought another box of doughnuts for them, and Rooney found a hog roast for their supper. After a brief discussion of the pros and cons of eating outside on a cold December night that concluded with the sentiment that fresh air was not worth being unable to feel their asses, they took their pork and chicken buns back home in little cardboard containers, along with apple sauce and some crackling for Rooney and Jason.

The walk home seemed to take less time, and pretty quickly they were back in the living room, turning on their little portable radiator and settling under blankets in front of the TV to have their roast. Georgia gave the doughnuts an extra burst in the microwave so that they were piping hot again come dessert time, and they all chatted idly about how much fun they’d had while Strictly Come Dancing played mostly unnoticed in the background.

Georgia found herself looking at her friends with even more delight than usual, seeing the way Jason laughed at Rooney as she spilled apple sauce on her bare stomach, and Sunil as he brought in the doughnuts with plates for all of them, and Pip as she complained about the ratio of bread to pork. They were all still pink-cheeked and sniffing from the cold outside, hair out of place from hats and hoods, and it was such a pleasant scene that Georgia stayed fairly quiet for most of the evening.

There was nothing she wanted to say. She was just so happy to be sat in a warm room with the people she adored, full of delicious food and feeling pleasantly tired from the hot chocolate. Georgia was so happy.

**Author's Note:**

> This was so fun to write, I did it almost in one sitting because I was just loving being with these characters again so much! I'm definitely getting more in the festive spirit and I wanted to imagine more of what it would be like for the Loveless gang to experience the changing seasons together. God I love them all so much. I actually did a little mini bit of research to see if Durham actually does have a Christmas market, and they absolutely do! I may have got some details wrong as I don't live there, but I'm happy that I have got it close enough to be both realistic and just plain entertaining.
> 
> The next prompt is "contact", and will be a Harry Potter Draco/Hermione fic.


End file.
